GUIDELINES BELOW ARE FOR 2017
AFIO SCHOLARSHIPS TO BE GRANTED AUGUST 2017

Read instructions below, entirely, to apply.

OTHER Non-AFIO Scholarships are listed near the bottom this page. Some of those might still be receiving applications.

For ease in applying, we recommend you assemble all parts of your application
and then send them to us using the special form at this link
which will become active 1 February 2017 and close on 1 July 2017.

Students / Parents

Don't let your budget stop you from reaching your potential. Let AFIO offset some of your education costs. Applications for 2017 can be sent starting in February 2017.

Do you qualify for several of these scholarships? If so, you need apply only one time by submitting the seven items described below under "Applicants Must Provide..." using this form. Indicate whether you are applying for an UNDERGRADUATE or GRADUATE scholarship. You will be considered for each of the other scholarships if you do not receive approval for the main one you listed. If you are granted one, you will not be considered for others. We occasionally grant scholarships to individuals who received an AFIO grant in prior years, so feel free to apply again.

Deadline for applications: July 1, 2017 is the deadline to have all your materials to our office. Materials may be submitted via our online form, preferably after February 1, 2017, or by mail to: AFIO Scholarship Committee, 7700 Leesburg Pike Suite 324, Falls Church, VA 22043.

Here are the scholarship guidelines:

Guidelines

For Undergraduate scholarships, applicants must be entering their junior, or senior year by the summer of 2017.

For Graduate scholarships, applications must be submitted no earlier than your senior undergraduate year and no later than your second year of graduate studies.

Evaluation criteria include merit, character, serious academic commitment, and relevance of your studies to national security interests and career ambitions.

Applications are evaluated by a special AFIO committee. Decisions are final.

Tuition grants will be paid directly to the Bursar/Registrar of the University concerned - under NO circumstances are payments sent directly to awardees or non-bursar third parties.

All applicants must be U.S. citizens. No Scholarship will be awarded to students attending foreign universities or schools not US-accredited, nor to law, med, or business schools (foreign or domestic); however, students intending to study in schools of engineering, science, technology and/or show extensive foreign language mastery and/or area knowledge in Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Hausa and other sub-Saharan African languages, Hebrew, Punjabi, Somali, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu are strongly encouraged to apply. Colleges must be regionally accredited.

Applicants must provide - via the online form is best - the following SEVEN items. Any of these formats for your attachments are acceptable: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, JPG, TIF, RTF, ODT, including common archive files - e.g., ZIP, ZIPX, TAR, 7Z, LHA, RAR. Do not send .dat or .htm files. Verify your attachments open to be certain they are valid files and not empty shortcut files. Keep attachments per email under 15 MB.

1. Cover Letter: explaining your need for scholarship, your career goals, your views of U.S. world standing and role U.S. intelligence community should play.

2. Resume:

current mailing address (we will verify with post office)
place and date of birth
colleges you have attended
college you expect to attend in fall of 2017
experience
extra-curricular activities

3. A copy of your academic transcript - need not be original or "official"
4. One recommendation (have person send to us by email to scholarships@afio.comor they can mail to AFIO Scholarships, 7700 Leesburg Pike Ste 324, Falls Church, VA 22043)
5. Recent photograph - can be sent as a high resolution digital image file via email attachment, or printed and mailed. Image should show full face...sitting, standing, or portrait only. JPG, TIF, GIF, PDF, other major graphic image formats acceptable.
6. Indicate for WHICH scholarships you wish to be considered. No need to send multiple copies of your materials, however, since we will consider you for all scholarships we offer.
7. College or University you will be attending in 2017-2018 -- and your intended course of study (your declared 'major' or 'area of concentration').

TO APPLY: For ease in applying, we recommend that you assemble all parts of your application and then send them to us using this form.

Recommendations and Transcripts coming from institutions or advisors can be mailed to us by U.S. Mail to our address: AFIO Scholarships, 7700 Leesburg Pike Ste 324, Falls Church, VA 22043 or emailed to scholarships@afio.com.

This donation from the Morris Family Charitable Corporation provides two $3,500 scholarships to graduate students who are focusing on national security or intelligence studies and who are, or have the intent of, serving in the U.S. Government. Special consideration will be given to candidates serving in government agencies comprising the U.S. Intelligence Community, their children or grandchildren.

2. THE AL PONTE GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD - One at $1,000

Mr. Albano F. Ponte is a vital part of AFIO's "legion of merit," through active participation and time, talent and funds donated to AFIO programs and development. His generous financial donations make this scholarship possible. Eligibility: Students who are going to graduate school, focusing on International Relations and/or Intelligence. Award amount is $1,000.

3. THE COLONEL SULLY H. DE FONTAINE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD - One at $1,200

The Colonel Sully H. de Fontaine Award [SOE, OSS, SAS, SOG] is in honor of Col. de Fontaine's lifetime of service to the country. Eligibility: Students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree with the intent of becoming employed within the U.S. Intelligence Community. Vito W. Paladino, LTC., U.S. Army (Retired) - a friend of Sully de Fontaine - established this scholarship in 2010, the first year an award was made. Award continues in 2017.

TO APPLY: For ease in applying, we recommend that you assemble all parts of your application and then send them to us using this form.

Recommendations and Transcripts coming from institutions or advisors can be mailed to us by U.S. Mail at: AFIO Scholarships, 7700 Leesburg Pike Ste 324, Falls Church, VA 22043 or emailed to scholarships@afio.com.

The following scholarships have been made known to us but are not handled by AFIO. Follow directions below.

LINT CENTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY SCHOLARSHIPS
DEADLINE: January 31, 2017

The mission of the Lint Center for National Security Studies is to foster and further the educational development and opportunities for the next generation of America's Counterintelligence and National Security workers. The Center focuses on empowering individuals, enhancing the study of national security issues, and enabling emerging leaders to be mentored by established current-and-former industry experts.

The Lint Center offers scholarships every January and July ranging from $500 to $1500. CEO James R. Lint, also an AFIO member, created these scholarships in order to:

Help smart innovative scholars attend college and contribute to National Security

Build better alliances

Create a forum for idea generation to aid national security

Assist scholars in getting published

Mentor and help those that may help the Nation and freedom in the future

To be eligible for this award, applicants must submit an essay fully explaining one of the goals or concepts of The Lint Center for National Security Studies. Specific topics for each scholarship, the application, and complete information on these scholarships may be found at: http://www.lintcenter.org/scholarships/

Exceptional student leaders are invited to apply for the 2017 GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program. In honor of the legacy and character of President Ronald Reagan, this program annually rewards up to 20 college-bound students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship with $10,000 renewable scholarships (up to $40,000 per recipient).

Honoring the legacy and character of our nation's 40th President, the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program rewards college-bound students who demonstrate exemplary leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship with financial assistance to pursue higher education.

Each year, the Program selects numerous recipients to receive a $10,000 scholarship renewable for up to an additional three years - up to $40,000 total per recipient. Awards are for undergraduate study only, and may be used for education-related expenses, including tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, and board. In addition, Scholars are invited to participate in a special awards program.

To be eligible for this award, applicants must:

• demonstrate at school, at the workplace, and within the community the attributes of leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship;• demonstrate strong academic performance (minimum 3.0 grade point average/4.0 scale or equivalent);• demonstrate financial need;• be citizens of the United States of America;• be high school seniors attending high school in the United States, or any of the U.S. territories and commonwealths and graduating in winter 2017 or spring 2017. Applicants living on a U.S. Armed Forces base and attending high school outside the U.S. are eligible. Home-schooled students who are graduating in winter 2017 or spring 2017 are also eligible.• plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study toward a bachelor's degree at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States for the entire 2017-2018 academic year.

In addition, semifinalists must be nominated by an eligible community leader, such as a high school principal, elected official or executive director of a nonprofit organization, and must provide documentation to certify academic performance and financial need. Finalists will be interviewed via Skype or telephone by a member of the selection committee. Learn more about the qualifications of a GE-Reagan Foundation Scholar or download a GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program flyer here.

Qualified candidates may apply online starting October 15, 2016 through January 9, 2017 or until 25,000 applications are submitted, whichever comes first. To be considered for this award, candidates must complete the secure online application and all of its components prior to the deadline. Deadline extensions will not be granted, and incomplete applications will be disqualified. Materials submitted in hard copy prior to the semifinalist stage will not be considered and will be discarded. Only the first 25,000 completed applications will be considered.

Applicants who have questions about the application process may contact the program's administrator, Scholarship Management Services, at 1-507-931-1682 and ask for the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program or email ge-reagan@scholarshipamerica.org. Applicants should anticipate a response to inquiries within one business day. Personnel at GE and The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation cannot address applicant questions.

Applications for the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program will be accepted online until January 9, 2017. Additional information, eligibility requirements, and a link to the application are available online. We look forward to honoring your young leaders next spring.
Erin Korsvall
Program Officer, GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship ProgramApplicants who have questions about the application process may contact the program's administrator, Scholarship Management Services, at ge-reagan@scholarshipamerica.org.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS:

Most members of the IC are participating in the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program (PRISP) to recruit and train analysts and linguists. The program is decentralized and demand-driven and allows each IC component to tailor its PRISP program to meet its critical needs.Many agencie are focusing on critical language or scientific skills. PRISP funding can be used to pay for hiring incentives, including reimbursement for previous educational expenses, or to provide additional education or training for those selected for the program.There is a service obligation of 18 months in an analytic or linguistic position in the IC.

Prospective PRISP applicants should consult the website of the various IC components for specifics on that component’s program. Each participating IC component will advertise their program and is responsible for identifying their critical skills and recruiting, selecting, processing and placing chosen candidates in suitable positions or in additional education or training programs.

Currently, CIA, DIA, and NSA participate in the Undergraduate Training Program, also known as the Stokes Program. This program targets high potential high school seniors and high performing college sophomores majoring in areas critical to the needs of the participating agencies. If selected for the program, students receive a government salary and full benefits as well as tuition and other educational expenses.The service obligation for this program is one and one-half times the length of the funded educational program.

The military services offer a number of scholarships and fellowships, including ROTC programs, some of which may apply to the service’s intelligence component. Consult the web site of each service for additional information.

College/Graduate Students: Earn Up to $20,000 for Overseas Study with the David L.
Boren Undergraduate Scholarships

The Boren Undergraduate Scholarships offer generous funding to college students wishing to spend a summer, semester, or academic year overseas in areas of the world deemed critical to US national security. US Citizens Only.

Overview: The Boren Scholarship was established in 1991 and is regulated by the National Security Education Program. The scholarship provides funding for graduate and undergraduate study in a number of targeted countries and fields. Students awarded Boren Scholarships must fulfill a service agreement upon graduation which requires a period of brief employment at a governmental agency or an office involved in national security affairs.

Eligibility: Boren scholarships may be awarded to students currently enrolled in undergraduate study or graduates planning to attend graduate school. Students applying for this scholarship must desire to study a foreign language in addition to any major-related study. Preference is given to students interested in studying critical languages or fields related to security interest as well as to those interested in study in selected areas. A list of preferential countries, languages, and topics of study are provided on the Boren Web Site. Financial assistance may also be provided to graduating seniors through Boren Graduate Fellowships.

Value: Students awarded Boren Scholarships will receive a maximum of $10,000 per semester or $20,000 per academic year, depending on program costs and student need. Boren Scholars may chose to study abroad for a 6-week summer session, a semester, or a full year.

Application: Applicants for Boren Scholarships may choose to complete an official hardcopy application form, which can be obtained from the Loyola College faculty representative, or may submit their application forms online. In addition, 3 letters of recommendation and 4 semesters' worth of transcripts are required. For those who have attended college for less than 4 semesters, high school records indicating achievements during the last 2 years must be included.

Deadline: Applications must be received for review and endorsement prior to the national deadline of February 10.

Applications for the Undergraduate Scholarship Program are accepted from
15 July - 1 November.

If you are a high school senior planning to enroll in a 4-or 5-year college program, or you are a college sophomore enrolled in a 4-or 5-year college program, who is looking for career experience in a dynamic environment, apply to the CIA's Undergraduate Scholar Program and contribute to the work of the nation before you graduate.

The opportunity to make a difference
The Undergraduate Scholar Program was developed, in part, to assist minority and disabled students, but application is open to all students who meet the requirements. The program offers unmatched experience. You'll complete work sessions during each summer break, increasing your knowledge and job responsibilities while assisting intelligence professionals and applying your academic skills.

We believe in challenging our Scholars with meaningful work that relates to their college major. An IT major, for example, might be given increasingly complex projects involving sophisticated computer systems. An engineering major might help produce a piece of state-of-the-art equipment. A finance major could be involved in developing and analyzing budgets for a worldwide operation. A foreign language major might be instrumental in translating documents for US policymakers. As a final example, a human resource major could have the opportunity to develop and implement personnel policies and procedures.

Once selected, you will be given an annual salary; a benefits package that includes health insurance, life insurance, and retirement; and up to $18,000 per calendar year for tuition, mandatory fees, books and supplies. You'll be required to work at an Agency facility during summer breaks and to maintain full-time college status during the school year with a minimum cumulative 3.0/4.0 GPA.We will pay the cost of transportation between school and the Washington, DC area each summer and provide a housing allowance.

Because the Scholar Program is an investment in you, accepting an offer means making a career choice. We ask that you agree to continue employment with the Agency after college graduation for a period equal to 1.5 times the length of your college sponsorship.

The Scholar Program is extremely competitive. We ask that all applicants meet the following requirements:

US citizenship
18 years of age by April 1
1000 SAT (Math and Verbal) or 21 ACT scores or higher (high school students)
3.0/4.0 scale high school or college GPA or higher
Financial need as demonstrated by the household income ceiling of $70,000 for a family of four, and $80,000 for a family of five or more
Meet the same employment standards as permanent employees, successfully completing both security and medical processing
Available to work in the Washington, DC area during your periods of employment

If you are eligible for this Program, apply online between July 15 - November 1. Qualified applicants will be contacted and asked to provide the following information to supplement their online application:

SAT or ACT scores (For high school seniors who are taking the SAT or ACT in the fall, please make note of your test date in the application package. All fall test scores must be sent (postmarked) no later than January 15.)
Names and ages of all family dependents, and your gross family income for current and previous years.
A copy of your most current Federal Application for Financial Student Aid Form (FAFSA) or SAR must be submitted upon request.
A copy of your school transcripts
Two letters of recommendation

All applicants must successfully complete a thorough medical and psychological exam, a polygraph interview and an extensive background investigation.

To be considered suitable for Agency employment, applicants must generally not have used illegal drugs within the last twelve months. The issue of illegal drug use prior to twelve months ago is carefully evaluated during the medical and security processing.

Important Notice: Friends, family, individuals, or organizations may be interested to learn that you are an applicant for or an employee of the CIA. Their interest, however, may not be benign or in your best interest. You cannot control whom they would tell. We therefore ask you to exercise discretion and good judgment in disclosing your interest in a position with the Agency. You will receive further guidance on this topic as you proceed through your CIA employment processing.

Resumes submitted before 15 July and after 1 November will not be reviewed.

Note: Multiple submissions are unnecessary and will slow the processing of your resume. Of course, if you made an error in your submission or need to update your resume, you may submit another resume. The second resume will overwrite the first.

An equal opportunity employer and a drug-free work force.

________________________________

National Flagship Language Program

NFLP Fellowships

NSEP offers a limited number of fellowships to qualified American students interested in receiving full financial support to participate in one of the NFLP programs.

The National Flagship Language Program (NFLP) was developed to address the urgent and growing need for Americans with professional levels of competency in languages critical to national security. NFLP offers advanced language training in Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, and Russian. NFLP is designed to train participants to reach professional working proficiency in a target language, as measured by the federal Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) level 3 and/or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) superior level.

Some of the programs you might want to explore are:

Most IC agencies participate in the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program (PRISP), which is designed to recruit and train analysts and linguists. PRISP funding can be used to pay hiring incentives, such as a recruitment bonus or reimburse previous educational expenses, for individuals who already possess the necessary skills (language, specialized scientific expertise, etc.) or to provide additional education or training for those selected for the program. There is a service obligation of 18 months. Consult agency websites for specifics on that agency’s PRISP program.

The Stokes Educational Scholarship Program (CIA, DIA, and NSA), where high potential, high school seniors and high performing college sophomores receive a government salary and full benefits, as well as tuition and other educational expenses, in exchange for a future employment obligation.

The military services offer a number of scholarships and fellowships, which may apply to the service’s intelligence component, including ROTC programs. Consult the websites of each service branch for specific details.

Applying for Student Opportunities

Competition is particularly fierce for our student programs. Applications for summer internships are in October and November for the following summer. Deadlines for other programs such as co-op programs deadlines are six to nine months prior to the period you wish to work. Applicants are expected to meet the same employment standards as permanent IC employees. You must be a U.S. citizen and should have a strong academic record (GPA of 3.0 or better). Foreign language skills, previous study or residency abroad and military service are pluses. Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills are essential. Some agencies require medical and/or polygraph examinations as well as a background investigation.

Most positions, including temporary employment as an intern or cooperative education student, in the IC require that employees possess a security clearance. Hiring for these positions is contingent upon the individual being granted such a clearance. The criteria for granting personnel security clearances vary depending upon the level of clearance and the particular IC member doing the hiring.

Employees in the IC must be highly reliable and trustworthy because they have access to the nation’s most sensitive information. The granting of a security clearance testifies that an individual meets these standards of reliability, trustworthiness, and integrity.

Current students considering a future career in the intelligence community are recommended to live a lifestyle that:

Focuses on continuing formal education and positive character development

Avoids the use of drugs and alcohol

Preserves your good credit by avoiding excessive credit card spending, especially when the spending exceeds the ability to pay off the balance monthly, and ensuring that all financial obligations are taken care of (payment of state and federal income tax, any government debts and student loans).

Obeys all laws regarding the downloading and use of software and all copyrighted material.

Obeys traffic laws including those regarding driving while under the influence of alcohol.

“AFIO provides scholarships and awards though generous donations provided by its sponsors and members.”